“As in life, the player is capable of a range of emotional responses to instances of microaggressions and outright sexism that resonate deeply with contemporary realities despite taking place in a medieval context.”

God of War

The portrayal of a father-son relationship in the latest God of War game continues to inspire critical reflections.

“If you constantly surround yourself with others, your thoughts will become nothing but theirs,” says the deer at one point. The influence of Emerson becomes unequivocal here, telling us to be self-reliant and independent.

Parley

Two writers report on new ways that people have started negotiating for better material conditions.

“Players have critiqued Rare for creating an empty sandbox, but the community that’s fallen in love with Sea of Thieves has found its own ways to communicate. Many of these rules and challenges are much more interesting than anything Rare might have thought up themselves.”